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And further more.. may I remind you that the Pogo Stick was invented on the Gem with a trick line no less, you know: throw the kite into a deep back flip and let the kite fall nose down until it hits the ground and bounces back up still in the back flip? Yeah that's right.

I agree with Steve's comments bove, there's nothing wrong with the Gem.

While I fly my Fearless vented and SUL most of this time, I have been flying my 2010 Gem a lot recently - The gem tricks with the best of them (even if the original design is pretty old) - and actually Axels, Double Axels and does wraps easier and with more style than the Fearless IMHO..

(Mind you the Fearless is easier to trick, stays on its back longer and is more forgiving of poorer technique.).

The Gem JL's easily, but as Steve says - more slack is required and I find I need to adjust my technique (and move my feet more) moving from the Fearless to the Gem - not an issue with the kites, just my flying style (I find I am getting away with poorer technique on the Fearless but on the Gem I need to clean up the technque a bit - not a bad thing actually).

I think of it and the DS as "flow" kites. Faster pace, keep it moving, timing critical, not much in the way of waiting around for the kite. Fly one for a few days and then move to a kite like the Nirvana and it feels like bullet time in the Matrix - slow mo and stable.

I'm not saying ones better than the other, just different.

The turtle is a good example of how they differ - the Gem JLs just fine, its just harder to do (imo, due to tighter timing requirements) than it is on the Nirvana.

No, I hadn't seen that one, thanks for the link. Now I have to get my sister to translate it for me, but I can see a trickline in the pictures. Was the 'Stoked in the Park' series ever released in a higher quality ? It's tough to watch full screen with the versions that I have.

Yes, the Gem is a 'rare gem' in the kite world. In the hands of Lars or other 'advance' fliers, its true ability shine through.

But when my kite pal got one, not one but two(STD & UL), he was like 8 months old in tricking kite age. He spent like a month or so to do a simple turtle and just can't do it. He added weights on the spines, middle, nose, US, LS or even at the wing tips. A little help. No turtle = no nothing. No JL and every turtle based tricks. Yes, he can do endless backspin, at least 50+ rotations. At the same time I was flying the Fearless STD and learnt tricks at light speed. His progess stalled and got confused and then switched to other kites and stopped flying the Gem totally. Remember this was from a 'beginner' with baby's IQ kite tricking point of view and this was his experience.

After that we conluded that some modifications on the bridle construction, weight installed somewhere and some 'super' technique will get it to turtle.

The forgiving thing in the Fearless is a good thing and can benefit for fliers from every levels. This is a kite that you never outgrown.

A big kite go slower. A bigger German kite goes even slower. They are just different flying styles + physic. That's all.

Maybe I'm a masochist but as much as I like the Fearless and it's forgiving nature I'm making a concerted effort to improve my technique so I'm sticking with the Nirvana for now. I don't have the Gem but I DO have the Minigem and it's a faster kite that definitely requires really good technique.

I have to say though it's nice to learn on a kite that's forgiving so that you can at least figure out the inputs to make a trick work. The downside is that you might not necessarily learn good technique.

I did my first ever flap jack and slot machine last week with the Nirvana as well as practicing flair landings. The wind was about 10 mph and it wasn't just a slight breeze so I was pretty stoked that I was able to do what I did.

Bottom line: It's about fun and not frustration. Fly the kite you have fun with.

I never heard of the pogo stick... Jim's a font of knowledge! It's great having him in my backyard - so to speak.

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